5 Quick Tricks for a Lasting Manicure

Keep your manicure perfect without going to the nail salon.

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Step 1: Prep the Surface

Swipe clean nails with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. "Greasiness from lotion prevents polish from adhering," says Jin Soon Choi, owner of Jin Soon Natural spas in New York City. Pure acetone removes the most residue, but if it's too drying, try a nonacetone remover without hydrators like lanolin.

Step 2: Choose the Right Base

Not all clear polishes are alike: A base coat is soft and sticky, so it can expand and contract with your nails and grab color, says Jan Arnold, cofounder of CND. Try Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat ($10, Ulta). A top coat is formulated to be hard and shiny; if you put one under your color, you'll shortchange your manicure.

Step 3: Pick a Pearly Polish

Shimmery polishes like Essie Pink Diamond ($8, Walmart), shown, have the longest staying power. Pearlescent formulas, with their fine mica particles, are likelier to withstand wear than matte ones. For beautiful, even color, apply two thin layers: One heavy coat keeps a polish's solvents from evaporating, which leads to chips and dings.

Step 4: Top it Off

Steer clear of quick-dry top coats: What you gain in speed, you lose in protection, says Arnold. A regular top coat is thick and slow to dry, but lasts longer and is more lustrous than thinner fast actors. Save the quick-dry product for a touch-up three days after you've painted your nails.

Step 5: Oil Daily

A dry nail and hardened polish are both like glass rods, says Arnold; they fracture and break easily. Oil helps keep polish from chipping and nails from peeling. Rub a few drops of CND SolarOil ($11.50, Ulta) onto your nails before bed. Your polish may look solid, but as it dries, its evaporating solvents leave micro-channels that let nails absorb the oil.

Watch our step-by-step video on how to give yourself a lasting manicure: